Journey Into Harad: 1. Prologue

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1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters of LOTR. I do, however, own several of the characters, especially the ones from Harad. Most locations in Gondor belong to Tolkien Enterprises, and most of the Harad locations belong to MERP (courtesy of a map online.) This story is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to be taken as canon, so if you are a purist, don't read this story.

On the other hand, if you don't mind non-canonical stuff, enjoy the story!

Rated T for violence and language.

A HISTORY OF HARAD

Harad is the name of the immense lands located to the south of Gondor. In the eyes of the Gondorians, it was divided into Near Harad and Far Harad. However, it was much more complex: both parts were made up of several separate kingdoms. Many people lived in Harad. They were known as the Haradrim.

Harad had a varied geography. There was a great deal of coastline, and the climate was warm. Near Harad was made up of the lands to the immediate south of Gondor, and it was mostly arid, with a great desert in the inlands. Far Harad was more fertile, and much of it was covered in tropical forest. The southeastern part of Harad had a great, ancient mountain range known as the Yellow Mountains. There was also much wildlife, including the great mûmakil.

During the Second Age, the western coasts of Harad were conquered by the Númenóreans, and their influence was great. Many Númenóreans settled in Harad. As the centuries went by, the Númenórean lords oppressed the peoples of Harad and demanded wealth and tribute from them. The Númenóreans built many settlements. Among them was Umbar, where Ar-Pharazôn landed and took the Dark Lord Sauron to Númenor. Under Ar-Pharazôn's rule, the Men of Harad were enslaved and sacrificed in Númenor.

After the Downfall of Númenor in the year 3319, the Númenóreans in Harad survived, and became known as the Black Númenóreans. They had many great lords. Mightiest of the lords were Herumor and Fuinur, who controlled vast lands and allied themselves with Sauron. Yet the Black Númenóreans dwindled as their bloodlines mingled with those of the Haradrim.

The Third Age began, and many kingdoms in the Harad rose to power. For a long time they were free of Sauron's influence, but still at strife with the descendants of Anárion son of Elendil, who ruled a land called Gondor. The havens of Umbar changed hands several times over the course of the years, but ultimately fell into the hands of the Haradrim. Umbar became home to the dreaded Corsairs, a particularly warlike strain of Men.

Sauron eventually returned and corrupted many of the Haradrim. In 1944, along with other servants of Sauron, the Haradrim attacked Gondor, but was utterly defeated. Over the next eight centuries, Harad worried about its own affairs. Many kingdoms rose and fell, and there was strife all over Near Harad. Far Harad, however, remained untroubled.

Eventually, a Corsair of Umbar named Harjûk declared himself king of the areas along the River Harnen - from Umbar to Mordor – and named it Haruzan, though it was still known to Gondorians as Umbar. He ruled over many dominions of Near Harad, allying himself with Sauron and oppressing his people, and his descendants continued this. Starting from the year 2758, the Corsairs planned many attacks on Gondor in the hopes of Gondor acknowledging their claims. But Gondor resisted and defeated Umbar multiple times.

As the years went by, the Corsairs became more and more influenced by Sauron. Eventually, in the year 3005, the great king Hazajthôr took the throne. He was the most cruel and arrogant of all the rulers of Umbar, and detested Gondor. He conspired with Sauron, and was ever welcome in Mordor. With Hazajthôr's help, the Men of Near Harad amassed into a huge army fighting for the Dark Lord.

Hazajthôr's ambitions led him to seduce the men of Far Harad as well, and many joined the armies of Sauron. Now that most of Harad was under Sauron's evil influence, they began to attack Gondor. They were driven back by the Gondorians, among them Faramir, the son of the Steward of Gondor.

Sauron was defeated once and for all with the destruction of the One Ring. Many Haradrim deserted his army and surrendered. Aragorn, a descendant of the Kings of Gondor, was crowned King of the Reunited Kingdom. He made peace with the men of Harad – all except for Hazajthôr. He accepted the peace, bud he did so with his fingers crossed.

Hazajthôr began to cause trouble for the other kingdoms of Harad. He began attacking them, and slew many people in the process. He crossed the deserts into Far Harad and stirred up trouble. The people fought back, but to no avail. Now their eyes turn to outside of Harad for help.

This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.

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